Identification means for ledger sheets and the like



Jan. 13, 1925 1,522,542

M. K. PAINE IDENTIFICATION MEANS FOR LEDGER SHEETS AND THE LIKE Filed Ja. 1l, 1922 w mL. 0 01%4. 105.74 NOM. 1215-04- /lv vE/vToR: Jf. H PAIIrE Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES MERRILL KENNETH PANE, OF /VEBSTER CITY, IOWA.

IDENTIFICATION" LIEANS FOR LEDGER SHEETS AND THE LTKE.

Application filed January 11, 1922.

Be it known that l. Mmmm, KENNETH Paivn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Vebster City, Hamilton County, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Identification Means for Ledger Sheets and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient identification means applicable to ledger sheets used in banks for posting customers accounts.

A further object of this invention' is to provide improved means for locating a customers signature slip ona ledger sheetiused for posting` his account, so that it may be referred to instantaneously during the posting` of each debit item, or whenever occasion arises.

A further object of" this invention to safeguard a bank inp'osting checks and the like by providing` means for removably' and rcplaceably mounting a signature slip onthe ledger sheet of the account where it can be readily referred to.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a face view of a ledger sheet. equipped with my in'ip-roved identification means. kFigure 2 is a. cross-section on the line QQor Figure l. Figure 3 is a section at right angles to Figure Q, on the line SH3 of Figure l, on an enlarged scale. Fig. i is a face view and 5 a cross-section on the line 5-5, showing a modified form.

In the constrin'ction of the device or article of ii'ianufacture as shown the numeral l0 designates generally a sheet such as is commonly employed by banks and the like for posting customers checking accounts, space being provided, among other things, for entering all checks drawn by the customer against his account. Under the system now largely employed, these sheets are of the loose-leaf variety and are removable for insertion in a typewriting or posting machine for the purpose of making thel entries. The common practice is to have an identification or signature card for each customer and these cards are all kept together in a cardindex file or similar device. Vhen the bookkeeper feels it is necessary or desirable to compare a signature on a check with the Serial No, 528,364.

signature card on file, he must go to the proper tile, search ont the signature card in question, and make his comparison, a proceeding which takes some little time and' trouble and is apt to be neglected at times to the detriment of the institution. It is inv purpose in the present invention to provide a signature slip which may be mounted on each sheet of the account and which can be referred to at a glance at any time by the bookkeeper as he makes his entries, the identifying signature thus being before him at all times as he enters items of a given account.

A transparent pocket is provided and affixed to and carried by the sheet 10 in any suitable location, as at an upper corner thereof. The pocket is formed by a transparent window member of Celluloid, isin@ glass or other similar substance, preferably of a flexible nature, here designated bv the numeral ll. This transparent memberull. is affixed to the sheet l0 along three margins, as by suitable gum, thus providing ani end opening pocket adapted to receive a slip 12 bearing a signature such as 18 applying to the account carried by the individual ledger sheet. The identification or signature slip is of flexible material such as paper or light cardboard and preferably is of somewhat greater length than the pocket formed by the window 1l, so that when said slip is in place in said pocket one end projects through the open end of said pocket. Thus the slip l2 may be readily grasped between a thumb and finger for removing or adjustin; it upon occasion. i l

A groove 14, forming three sides of a rectangle, or a depression or counter-sink. preferably is formed in the surface of the sheet l() at the desired location of the transparent pocket and preliminary to mounting the member ll thereon. This depression or groove is adapted to receive the three marginal gummed portions of the transparent member ll whereby such gummed margins are countersunk to or below the surrounding surface of the sheet 10, thus facilitating the insertion of the sheet within a typewriting or posting machine Without damage to or interference bv the member ll mounted thereon. It will bc noted that the open margin of the transparent member, which is not received Within the groove le, is at one end and parallel to the direction of travel of the sheet when Y chine such as above mentioned.

One of the transparent window members 11 preferably is mounted on each face of the sheet 10, as shown in Figure 2, so that said sheet when reversed may be supplied with the identification means, the slip 12 being removed fro-in its primary location on the face of the sheet first used and inserted in the pocket on the other face.

By this means the identification or signature slip is always before the bookkeeper as lie enters each item and possibility of fraudulent items escaping detection is greatly reduced, as well as resulting in considerable saving of time in making the coinparisons which are )frequently necessary. It is thought best to provide these removable slips 12 iii addition to the regular signature card ordinarily employed and kept iii the regular files.

It is apparent that this identification means may be adapted to or employed in connection with other than the'bank ledger i Y sheets here referred to, and I do not wish to be understood as unduly limiting myself to such use.

In the construction acoordiiig to Figures 4 and 5 the sheet 10av is formed with the depression or groove 14 as before but the transparent member is omitted. In lieu thereof, and to provide holding means for an identification slip such as 12, the sheet is formed with spaced parallel slits connecting longer side portions of the groove 14', thus producing a plurality of strips 15, 16 extending in spaced relation across the pocket formed by said groovek or depression, and adapted to hold the slip 12 in place in such manner that the signature or other identifying means thereon is visible, in the major portion at least, at all times by one using or referring t0 the ledger sheet. The slip 12 is removable and replaceable, as before, by endwise movement relative to the pocket and strips 15, 16, but the identifying means is not protected as by the transparent member, and the slip is not held iii as stable relation as in the preferred construction. This construction is, however, inucli simpler and more economical'to produce than the other and` in most instances would be ei'iicieiit and desirable. y

In either form, the slip 12 may be made tlie exact length of the pocket, not projecting at one end therefrom, so that it will not interfere with introduction of the sheet to the rollers of a typewriting or posting machine.

In the modified form it may be'desirable to extend the groove or pocket 14 around all Vfour sides of the slip, which will tend to hold the slip in place, it being of not.

greater length than the pocket so formed.

I claim as my invention- A ledger sheet formed to produce in one face spaced parallel grooves and on the opposite face corresponding ridges outlining two sides ofV an integral pocket, retaining means extending across the face of said pocket, and an identification slip adapted to be mounted in said pocket and retained by said retaining means, said ridges eXtending across and protecting the edges 0f said slip.

Signed at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, this 19th. day of December, 1921.

MERRILL KENNETH PAINE.. 

